Silly Newbie Question for You :)

jillcanada

My doctor said that despite my clear thermal shift on my charts that I'm not ovulating regularly. I don't link my chart, but I do have textbook charts most months. He stated that you can only tell from a CD 21 b/w test if you've Oed or not. Clearly charting is not something he believes in. This comment, though, has been on my mind since Tuesday, and I'm wondering how much truth there is to it. Seems like all literature/research on FAM points towards the answer of no, but again, I'm not the doctor. I honestly think I do O every month, but perhaps because of the PCOS the quality of the egg is less than stellar. So anyone know, can you have a thermal shift with no O???

Pixiestx

I don't know if you can have a thermal shift with no O, but I can tell you that my old obgyn and my RE never cared at all about my charts.  I can understand how as doctors they can't rely on them b/c there are so many variables that can influence your temps. 

KiKiMe

I am not positive on your question either but, like pp, my RE didn't care about my charts one bit. I hope someone will have a better answer for you.

suntoto

You can have a thermal shift w/ no O, but that is usually with drugs (like clomid or injectibles).  

To be honest, there is a lot of credence given to charting by most Dr's.  My RE even took my charts and looked at them when I first came to her.  My honest opinion is that maybe you should look at a new Dr. or take your med file and just go to an RE instead of an OB.  RE's specialize in this stuff and OB's mainly specialize in the vaj and delivery- so you would get better expert advice from an RE rather than an OB.    Blood work can tell you more about what is going on, but charting is also pretty accurate. 

CashewsMommy

I still vote that no you can't. I can't figure out a reason why your temp would shift and be steady for 12-13 days before AF showed without ovulation actually happening. Unless taking meds that could cause a shift like that, like Suntoto said.

If it happens to be true.. i'd like you to take your case up to the TCOYF people.

AmyRM

Pixiestx:

I can understand how as doctors they can't rely on them b/c there are so many variables that can influence your temps. 

This. I haven't bothered with charting temps for some time - my doctors don't seem interested, and as said above there are so many variables that can affect them. I chart now only to keep track of cycle dates.

You would think that science would have figured all this sh!t out by now. *sigh* 

DoingItRight

My last cycle I did not ovulate until the day after my big temp rise. 

EntropicEpona

Uh, no. In the absence of extenuating circumstances such as meds or an illness or a broken BBT, a clear thermal shift is evidence of ovulation. Now, it can't tell you about the quality of your ovulation, but that's where 7dpo testing comes in.

If your doc insists on CD21 testing, I'd find a new one. Or an RE. For ANY of the information to be accurate, it needs to be done at 7dpo. So unless you ovulate right on CD14, CD21 testing is next to useless.

ade2be

EntropicEpona:

Uh, no. In the absence of extenuating circumstances such as meds or an illness or a broken BBT, a clear thermal shift is evidence of ovulation. Now, it can't tell you about the quality of your ovulation, but that's where 7dpo testing comes in.

This is how I understood it too.  The thermal shift does tell you that you ovulated, but it may not be a good ovulation.  The 7dpo progestrone test will tell you the quality of the ovulation, which is important to know.  I *occasionally* ovulated on my own, but my progestrone was so low that they knew I didn't have any hope of getting pregnant on my own.  My RE did look at my charts and looked for my response on Clomid, etc.  He didn't make a lot of decisions based upon them, but he did at least look at them.

jillcanada

Thanks everyone for weighing in with your wisdom. I had b/w and glucose testing done today. I think it was 16 vials, and very proud I'm getting better at having blood drawn. Doctor showed me my ultrasounds and there they were, three-four underdeveloped follicles sitting in my ovaries. I do have a cyst though which does indicate I Oed. We did CD 21 testing...and yes, I am one of those people who doesn't O on CD 14...so I'm  hoping we'll get to do CD 3 once I go in for these results. I like him. He listens to me and he's a top specialist in PCOS in the Denver area. I'll move to an RE once I get my results and  actually start trying to conceive again. For now, all is on hold, of course, and I'm just relieved that I finally have some answers.